Propelling pencil



Nov. 19, 1963 c. JEANMONOD PROPELLING PENCIL Filed July'15, 1960 United States Patent 3,111,116 PRUPELLING PENfill.

Charles Jeannioned, Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to Fabrique Snisse dc Crayons Caron dAche S.A., Geneva, Switzerland, in corporation of witzerland Filed .lnly 15, 196%, def. No. 43,226 Claims priority, application Switzerland July 22, 1959 3 Claims. (Cl. Mil-18) My invention has for its object a propelling pencil of the type including a tubular body carrying a lead-guiding tube and means for producing a progression of the lead.

The difficulty is well known which is met when engaging a fresh lead into the opening of the lead-guiding tube in a propelling pencil, in particular when said opening has a small cross-section.

My improved propelling pencil has for its object to remove such drawbacks and its novelty consists in the fact that a fraction of the wall of the lead-guiding tube is movable and this allows opening laterally the leadguiding tube for engagement of the lead transversely into said tube while locking means are adapted to hold the movable wall in its operative closing position.

The accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically and by way of example a preferred embodiment of my improved propelling pencil adapted to carry a fiat lead. In said drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 3 are an axial cross-sectional view of a propelling pencil.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through line 11-41 of H6. 1.

The propelling pencil illustrated in the drawing in cludes a tubular body 1 of, for example, hexagonal crosssection and is provided with a longitudinal opening to in its side wall. in one of the ends of .the body, there is fitted a lead-guiding tube 2 which also forms the tip of the pencil. Said lead-guiding tube 2 includes an elongated trough-shaped member 3, and a blade 4- movable into and out of said opening la: and adapted to engage the trough formed by the member 3 so as to form a movable Wall closing the complete guiding tube 2.

The inner surface of the tube 2 adapted to guide and carry the lead 5 has a rectangular cross-section as illustrated in FIG. 2. The pencil is thus intended for carrying fiat leads the thickness of which ranges generally between 030 and 0.45

The blade 4 is pivotally secured to the trough-shaped member 3 and to this end the member 3 is urged with a force fit inside a sleeve 6 provided with a slot 7 registering with the lateral opening in said member 3. Said sleeve 6 is also provided with a transverse recess 8 inside which is fitted a pin 9 forming the pivotal connection for the blade 4.

Locking means are provided to ensure the steady setting in its operative position of the wall formed by the blade 4. In the example illustrated, the locking means include a U-shaped spring ll surrounding the trough 3 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The terminal flanges 11 formed on the spring it are adapted to engage recesses 12 formed in the two cooperating opposed surfaces of the blade 4. The bottom of said recesses 12, forms a slope 13 so that under the clamping action, of the terminal flanges ll of the spring ll), the blade 4 has a tendency to engage the surface of the lead 5 fitted in the bottom of the troughshaped member 3.

The trough-shaped member 3 is provided furthermore along one of its surfaces and near the tip of the pencil with a notch 14. The blade E is correspondingly provided along one of its sides with a recess the location of which registers with that of the notch 14 in the member 3 when the blade has engaged the body of the pencil. The recess 15 in the blade allows opening the lead-guiding tube 2 through insertion of the operators Sdlldid Patented Nov. 19, 1963 nail inside said recess with a view to exerting an outwardly directed stress on the latter. The opening of the leadguiding tube 2 is thus performed in the same rnanner as the opening of a pocket knife. As a modification, a notch 14 may be formed on both sides of the trough 3 to face respectively the two surfaces of the blade 4 each of which is then provided with a recess 15.

My improved propelling pencil is furthermore provided with a conventional screw-operated mechanism providing for the progression of the lead. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a tubular screw 16 engages a rear extension of a reduced cross-section 17 on the sleeve 6. At its rear outer end, said screw 16 carries a knurled knob 13 providing for the control of the lead and of which the front or inner section 19 is fitted inside the tubular screw 16. A pin 29 engaging transversely said screw 16 rigidly connects the knob with said screw.

The rear end of the body 1 is provided with a tapping 21 inside which is screwed a threaded nut 22 the inner end 23 of wh'ch forms an axial stop for a collar 24 rigid with the inner corresponding end of the knob 15;.

A pusher member 25 of which the cross-section registers with that of the lead 5 of the minimum thickness to be considered, is arranged in the bottom of the trough-sh aped member 3; the rear section of said pusher member 25 is rigid with a toothed member 26 the teeth 27 of which engage the inner thread of the tubular screw lo. A ring 23 is fitted with a force fit over the rear end of the member 35 so as to form a stop for said toothed member 26 and to define the maximum receding movement of the pusher rnernber 2-5. Said ring 28 provides simultaneously for the centering of the member 3 inside the tubular screw 16.

The securing of the lead-guiding tube at the tip of the tubular body is ensured by a groove 29 formed annularly round the outer periphery of the trough-shaped member 3, in which groove is elastically engaged the terminal flange 34) forming the tip of the body 1.

As a matter of fact, since the body 1 is slotted longitudinally so as to allow the blade 4- to enter its outer in operative position as shown in dot and dash lines in FIG. 1, said body 1 has a sufficient elasticity for it to allow the engagement into it of the lead-guiding tube 2, throuw the rear of the body 1, said engagement opening transiently the flange 3% until the latter returns elastically into the groove 29 so as to lock therein the lead-guiding tube 2 with reference to the body 1.

The operation of the propelling pencil described with reference to the accompanying drawing is performed in the same manner as for an ordinary propelling pencil provided with a screw-operated mechanism for the progression of the lead. The knob 15 when angularly shifted produces an axial shifting of the member as which drives the pusher member 25 and makes the latter urge forwardly to a varying extent the lead 5.

When it is desired to refill the pencil, by means of a. fresh lead, it is suilicient to open laterally the tube 2 and to remove with ones nail the blade out of the troughshaped member; when said blade has been brought into the position illustrated in dot and dash lines in FIG. 1, the pusher member 25 being in its rear position, the fresh lead '5 is engaged transversely into the lead-guiding tube 2 after which the blade 4 is folded back into its operative position over said fresh lead. The elastic action of the spring ll) on the blade 4- allows without any further operation, the use in a same propelling pencil of flat leads of diiferent thicknesses ranging for instance between 0.30 and 0.45 mm. while ensuring for each lead a perfectly stable clamping inside the lead guiding tube 2, as obtained by the engagement of the blade 4 over the lead 5.

There is no difficulty in fitting a fresh lead inside the a different manner.

3 trough 3 by reason of the large cross-sectional area of said trough. This advantage is of particular interest when leads of a very reduced cross-section are to be inserted in the pencil. Such an operation executed on a pencil of a conventional structure into which the lead is to be inserted through its tip is always a delicate matter.

Numerous modifications in the pencil described may be imagined within the scope of the accompanying clm'rns. Thus the movable Wall formed by the blade instead of being pivotal-1y secured to the lead-guiding tube 2 may be removable and drawn either through a longitudinal tractional action or through a lateral movement out of the trough 3. However the structure illustrated is preferable since it cuts out any risk of loss of the blade t.

As a modification, it is also possible to lock the blade in The back of said blade may be provided between its pivotal point 9 and the tip of the actual pencil with a boss while the blade 4 extends furthermore rearwardly of its pivotal point 9 in a manner such as to form also a boss to the rear of said pivotal point; a ring fitted over the outer tube 2 of the pencil is in such a case adapted to slide axially between the bosses so as to hold the blade 4 in the trough 3 for the front position of the ring by engaging the front boss on the blade 4, whereas for the rear position of the ring the latter produces a rocking of the blade round its pivot by bearing over the rear boss so that the opening of the lead-guiding tube 2 would be produced in this case [indirectly through a shifting of the ring towards the rear end of the pencil.

As to the mechanism providing a progression of the lead under the action of a screw as illustrated by way of example in the drawings, it could be replaced by a mechanism providing said progression through clamping rneans in accordance with a well-known arrangement which is operative as soon as a push button is depressed, which push-button would then replace the rotary knob 13.

The preceding disclosure refers more particularly to a pencil provided for operation with fiat leads. However, said structure is applicable to pencils carrying leads of any cross-section whatever Whether square, rectangular, polygonal, round, ellipsoidal or the like, the trough and the blade system being given then obviously a corresponding inner shape.

I claim:

1. A mechanical pencil comprising a tubular body, a lead guiding tube within said body, means for advancing a lead, said lead guiding tube comprising a longitudinally grooved trough-like member extending to the tip of the pencil, said body having a longitudinal slot in registry with the groove of said trough-like member, a blade rpivotally secured to said trough-like member near the end thereof opposite the tip of the pencil, said blade movable into and out of the slot in said body and the groove in said tube, said blade when in closed position donning a laterally movable side wall tor said lead guiding tube and when in opened position permitting access thereto for insertion of the lead, locking means within said body and carried by said trough like member to engage said blade and retain it in closed position.

2. A mechanical pencil according to claim 1, wherein the locking means for said blade comprises a spring of substantially U-shape embracing said trough-like member, said spring having a pair of flanges engaged in related recesses formed in opposite sides of said blade, the bottom of said recesses being inclined so that pressure exerted by said spring is constantly applied to said blade when the latter is in closed position thereby causing it to clamp the lead in said trough-like member.

3. A mechanical pencil according to claim 2, wherein the trough-like member is provided with a notch along one surface near the tip of the pencil and the blade is provided along one of its sides with a recess in registry with said notch to penmit opening of the lead guiding tube by insertion of the operators nail in the recess of said blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 555,690 Frost Mar. 3, 1896 2,274,311 Wehn Feb. 24, 1942 2,516,938 Ai mes Aug. 1, 1950 2,559,884 Lehman July 10, 1951 2,902,977 Shurclifl Sept. 8, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 863,584 Germany Apr. 5, 1951 347,196 France Dec. 27, 1904 

1. A MECHANICAL PENCIL COMPRISING A TUBULAR BODY, A LEAD GUIDING TUBE WITHIN SAID BODY, MEANS FOR ADVANCING A LEAD, SAID LEAD GUIDING TUBE COMPRISING A LONGITUDINALLY GROOVED TROUGH-LIKE MEMBER EXTENDING TO THE TIP OF THE PENCIL, SAID BODY HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SLOT IN REGISTRY WITH THE GROOVE OF SAID TROUGH-LIKE MEMBER, A BLADE PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID TROUGH-LIKE MEMBER NEAR THE END THEREOF OPPOSITE THE TIP OF THE PENCIL, SAID BLADE MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF THE SLOT IN SAID BODY AND THE GROOVE IN SAID TUBE, SAID BLADE WHEN IN CLOSED POSITION FORMING A LATERALLY MOVABLE SIDE WALL FOR SAID LEAD GUIDING TUBE AND WHEN IN OPENED POSITION PERMITTING ACCESS THERETO FOR INSERTION OF THE LEAD, LOCKING MEANS WITHIN SAID BODY AND CARRIED BY SAID TROUGH-LIKE MEMBER TO ENGAGE SAID BLADE AND RETAIN IT IN CLOSED POSITION. 